by Emm Thomas, Student Occupational Therapist
Not thinking of myself as a leader, and wanting to explore this skill more, I decided to apply to join the Student Leadership Academy’s (SLA) Leadership Programme 2024. Finding out that I had been accepted filled me with both excitement and apprehension. I instantly didn’t think I was up to the task. Little did I realise it, but my leadership journey had already begun, and I would inevitably feel comfortable calling myself a leader.
I attended a two-day conference where I met and networked with amazing peers and heard thought-provoking talks on Compassionate Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, and Self-Compassion. Past SLA alumni, potential coaches and invited delegates all provided talks about their leadership journeys. A wealth of important information was presented that I could already apply to my future practice. It was a stimulating start to the programme.
I had the opportunity to complete three coaching sessions to explore my leadership journey. This left a lasting impression on me and was a defining moment. Little did I know what a powerful impact it would have on me. As part of the SLA Programme, I was partnered with Christine Fairfax, a Lead occupational therapist for adult mental health, and a professional from my new field of work. To undertake my degree in Occupational Therapy, I ended a nearly 20-year career in the NHS, and having worked in mental health, my passion and interest remained in this field. Therefore, I was keen to learn more about Christine’s experience as a mental health occupational therapist.
Our initial discussion centred aroundwhat I’d learned from the SLA programme, how I may have demonstrated leadership through my various roles and how my leadership skills would continue developing as my career progressed and through networking with other professionals. Christine shared her leadership experiences with me, and we also spoke about using intuition and a strengths-based approach linked to my lived experience as a neurodivergent individual.I formed a great relationship with Christine, where we discussed examples of good/bad leadership that we had both observed in practice, and we focused on well-being, and how I manage my own to remain resilient and ready for what the workplace may throw at me!
As coaching progressed, I found it facilitated a more spiritual journey of self-discovery and self-development. I gained confidence, found increased calm and stillness, and greater self-awareness that would help me as a compassionate leader. Through coaching, I learned that I already possessed leadership qualities and performed them daily in my work and personal life, without realising it!
A key element of these discussions was exploring strategies I could utilise to ensure moments of mindfulness and self-care that would allow me time to process and assimilate information. My brain is often chock-full of great information that I need to download! Therefore, I collated a ‘toolkit’ of self-care tasks facilitating processing (download) time. I now use this ever-growing ‘toolkit’ to help me maintain work/life balance and remain productive. From a different perspective, I had essentially experienced the power of occupational therapy in real time and observed an effective, compassionate leader at work.
This new awareness will allow me to build compassionate therapeutic relationships with people I support in the future, where I can build on the principles of compassionate leadership through empathy, compassion, understanding, and emotional intelligence.
Overall, I found the coaching I received to be a powerful, positive and profound experience. Christine’s skills and knowledge brought out so much potential in me. She is a fantastic person and a remarkable occupational therapist. Christine empowered me to believe in myself, and I will forever hold her in high esteem. Spending time with Christine within a mental health setting helped me generate confidence for my future psychosocial practice placement, since I’d worried about whether I would still enjoy the setting through the lens of an occupational therapy student. (I just wanted to note that I loved every minute of the placement and have finally found my niche.)
Our discussions led me to explore compassionate leadership more deeply since the ability to manage and promote my well-being and that of others is a key principle of compassionate care and leadership. This aspect is also fundamental to Sections 3 and 4 of the professional standards of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (2021).
I later attended the ‘5th Annual Collaboration for Compassion in Healthcare Education (C4CHEd) Conference’. Dr Sarah Tobin introduced attendees to Schwartz Care Rounds, where information and experiences can be shared in a safe space. She highlighted howour experiences can be essential to learning from each other. I was proud to see a fellow SLA peer on the Schwartz Rounds panel discussing a challenging experience and answering questions confidently. Although I was attending online, I used the group chat to send a message of support, which was read out.
Professor Michael West provided an insightful talk on ‘Compassionate Healthcare’, which he linked to compassionate leadership principles and the Gwella HEIW Leadership Portal, where Wales leads the way with its national vision of leadership. His talk struck a note in my mind since I will soon be an emerging practitioner in workplaces where compassionate leadership is a key attribute.
Participating in the Student Leadership Programme 2024 taught me much about myself. Most importantly, this journey helped me recognise my achievements, enabling me to believe in my abilities and gave me the courage to step outside my comfort zone. I now feel a new sense of confidence, and I am empowered to continue using my intuition and strengths and keep developing my professional identity to forge my way forward as an emerging occupational therapist and compassionate leader.
I will continue my journey with a favourite quote of all time in mind and a philosophy I intend to live by:
References
Bowie, D. [IDEA GENERATION]. (n.d.). David Bowie on Getting Outside Your Comfort Zone and Trying New Things Creatively [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed70yZf5Usk
Health Education and Improvement Wales. (n.d.). Leadership at all levels. https://nhswalesleadershipportal.heiw.wales/
Royal College of Occupational Therapists. (2021). Professional standards for occupational therapy practice, conduct and ethics.
West, M. A. (2021). Compassionate leadership: sustaining wisdom, humanity and presence in health and social care. The Swirling Leaf Press.
Swansea University Student Leadership Academy 